Suggesting adjustments to a helmet based on analysis of play

ABSTRACT

Embodiments include method, systems and computer program products for suggesting adjustments to an adjustable helmet based on analysis of play. Aspects include monitoring a plurality of sensors in the adjustable helmet and performing an analysis of play for a user of the adjustable helmet based on data received from the plurality of sensors. Aspects also include determining if an adjustment to the adjustable helmet should be made based on the analysis of play and creating an alert indicating that an adjustment to the helmet is needed.

DOMESTIC PRIORITY

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.14/709,572; Attorney Docket: YOR920150163US1; Filed: May 12, 2015; whichis related to U.S. application Ser. No. 14/709,575; Attorney Docket:YOR920150161US1; Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No.14/709,574; Attorney Docket: YOR920150162US1; Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S.application Ser. No. 14/709,570; Attorney Docket: YOR920150164US1;Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No. 14/709,563; AttorneyDocket: YOR920150165US1; Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No.14/709,568; Attorney Docket: YOR920150167US1; Filed: May 12, 2015; U.S.application Ser. No. 14/709,564; Attorney Docket YOR920150168US1; Filed:May 12, 2015; U.S. application Ser. No. 14/664,987; Filed Mar. 23, 2015;Attorney Docket No.: YOR920150038US1; U.S. application Ser. No.14/664,989; Filed: Mar. 23, 2015; Attorney Docket No.: YOR920150039US1;and U.S. application Ser. No. 14/664,991; Filed: Mar. 23, 2015; AttorneyDocket No.: YOR920150040US1, the contents of each of which are hereinincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to the suggestion of adjustments to ahelmet to mitigate the risk of brain injuries, and more specifically, tomethods, systems and computer program products for suggestingadjustments to a helmet based on analysis of play.

Generally speaking, safety is a primary concern for both users ofhelmets and manufacturers of helmets. Helmets are used by individualsthat participate in activities that have risk of head trauma, such asthe area of sports, biking, motorcycling, etc. While helmets havetraditionally been used to provide protection from blunt force trauma tothe head, an increased awareness of concussion causing forces hasmotivated a need for advances in helmet technology to provide increasedprotection against concussions. A concussion is a type of traumaticbrain injury that is caused by a blow to the head that shakes the braininside the skull due to linear or rotational accelerations. Recently,research has linked concussions to a range of health problems, fromdepression to Alzheimer's, along with a range of brain injuries. Unlikesevere traumatic brain injuries, which result in lesions or bleedinginside the brain and are detectable using standard medical imaging, aconcussion is often invisible in brain tissue, and therefore onlydetectable by means of a cognitive change, where that change ismeasurable by changes to brain tissue actions, either neurophysiologicalor through muscle actions caused by the brain and the muscles resultingeffects on the environment, for example, speech sounds.

Currently available helmets include a hard outer shell and internalpadding that is designed to mitigate the risk of brain injuries. Thesehelmets are designed to accommodate all types of impacts regardless ofthe probability of the occurrence of specific impacts during varioustypes of usage.

SUMMARY

In accordance with an embodiment, a method for suggesting adjustments toa helmet based on analysis of play includes monitoring a plurality ofsensors in the adjustable helmet and performing an analysis of play fora user of the adjustable helmet based on data received from theplurality of sensors. The method also includes determining if anadjustment to the adjustable helmet should be made based on the analysisof play and creating an alert indicating that an adjustment to thehelmet is needed.

In accordance with another embodiment, an adjustable helmet formitigating the risk of brain injuries includes a processor and one ormore sensors is provided. The processor is configured to perform amethod that includes monitoring the one or more sensors in theadjustable helmet and performing an analysis of play for a user of theadjustable helmet based on data received from the one or more sensors.The method also includes determining if an adjustment to the adjustablehelmet should be made based on the analysis of play and creating analert indicating that an adjustment to the helmet is needed.

In accordance with a further embodiment, a computer program product forsuggesting adjustments to a helmet based on analysis of play includes anon-transitory storage medium readable by a processing circuit andstoring instructions for execution by the processing circuit forperforming a method. The method includes monitoring a plurality ofsensors in the adjustable helmet and performing an analysis of play fora user of the adjustable helmet based on data received from theplurality of sensors. The method also includes determining if anadjustment to the adjustable helmet should be made based on the analysisof play and creating an alert indicating that an adjustment to thehelmet is needed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The subject matter which is regarded as the invention is particularlypointed out and distinctly claimed in the claims at the conclusion ofthe specification. The forgoing and other features, and advantages ofthe invention are apparent from the following detailed description takenin conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating one example of a processingsystem for practice of the teachings herein;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an adjustable helmet inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram of a method for suggesting adjustments to anadjustable helmet based on analysis of play in accordance with anexemplary embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram of a method for suggesting replacement of ahelmet based on analysis of play in accordance with an exemplaryembodiment; and

FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a system for monitoringadjustable helmets in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, methods,systems and computer program products for suggesting adjustments to ahelmet based on analysis of play are provided. In exemplary embodiments,the helmet includes one or more sensors and one or more adjustableparameters, such as an adjustable chin strap or adjustable internal orexternal padding. In exemplary embodiments, the sensors may include oneor more of accelerometers, gyroscopes, or the like. In one embodiment,the outputs of the sensors are provided to a processor that performs ananalysis of the play of the user based on the movements, and/or actionsof the user. In exemplary embodiments, the processor determines one ormore adjustments to a protection profile of the helmet are needed basedon the analysis of the play of the user. The protection profile of thehelmet may include, but is not limited to, the tightness of the chinstrap, the size of one or more pads of the helmet, the stiffness of oneor more pads of the helmet and the lateral mobility of one or more padsof the helmet. In exemplary embodiments, the protection profile can bedetermined based on a probability of certain types of impacts occurringand based upon the analysis of the play of the user.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown an embodiment of a processing system100 for implementing the teachings herein. In this embodiment, thesystem 100 has one or more central processing units (processors) 101 a,101 b, 101 c, etc. (collectively or generically referred to asprocessor(s) 101). In one embodiment, each processor 101 may include areduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessor. Processors 101are coupled to system memory 114 and various other components via asystem bus 113. Read only memory (ROM) 102 is coupled to the system bus113 and may include a basic input/output system (BIOS), which controlscertain basic functions of system 100.

FIG. 1 further depicts an input/output (I/O) adapter 107 and a networkadapter 106 coupled to the system bus 113. I/O adapter 107 may be asmall computer system interface (SCSI) adapter that communicates with ahard disk 103 and/or tape storage drive 105 or any other similarcomponent. I/O adapter 107, hard disk 103, and tape storage device 105are collectively referred to herein as mass storage 104. Operatingsystem 120 for execution on the processing system 100 may be stored inmass storage 104. A network adapter 106 interconnects bus 113 with anoutside network 116 enabling data processing system 100 to communicatewith other such systems. A screen (e.g., a display monitor) 115 isconnected to system bus 113 by display adaptor 112, which may include agraphics adapter to improve the performance of graphics intensiveapplications and a video controller. In one embodiment, adapters 107,106, and 112 may be connected to one or more I/O busses that areconnected to system bus 113 via an intermediate bus bridge (not shown).Suitable I/O buses for connecting peripheral devices such as hard diskcontrollers, network adapters, and graphics adapters typically includecommon protocols, such as the Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI).Additional input/output devices are shown as connected to system bus 113via user interface adapter 108 and display adapter 112. A keyboard 109,mouse 110, and speaker 111 all interconnected to bus 113 via userinterface adapter 108, which may include, for example, a Super I/O chipintegrating multiple device adapters into a single integrated circuit.

Thus, as configured in FIG. 1, the system 100 includes processingcapability in the form of processors 101, storage capability includingsystem memory 114 and mass storage 104, input means such as keyboard 109and mouse 110, and output capability including speaker 111 and display115. In one embodiment, a portion of system memory 114 and mass storage104 collectively store an operating system such as the AIX® operatingsystem from IBM Corporation to coordinate the functions of the variouscomponents shown in FIG. 1.

Referring now to FIG. 2, a block diagram illustrating an adjustablehelmet 200 in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is shown. The termhelmet may include, but is not intended to be limited to, a footballhelmet, a motorcycle helmet or the like. In exemplary embodiments, theadjustable helmet 200 includes one or more of the following anaccelerometer 202, a chin strap 204, a padding 206, a gyroscope 208, aprocessor 210, a transceiver 212, a power supply 214 and a memory 216.In exemplary embodiments, the power supply 214 may be a batteryconfigured to provide power to one or more of the accelerometer 202, thegyroscope 208, the processor 210 and the transceiver 212.

In one embodiment, the processor 210 is configured to receive an outputfrom one or more of the accelerometer 202 and the gyroscope 208 and toperform an analysis of the play of the user of the adjustable helmet.The analysis of the play of the user may include determining a categoryof play of the user, which is the manner in which the user is using thehelmet. In one example, for a football helmet, the category of play mayrefer to the position being played by the user, running back, widereceiver, linemen, etc. In addition, the analysis of play may include astatistical analysis of the amount of time and characteristics of theactivities being performed by the user. For example, the statisticalanalysis may include analyzing the frequency and intensity of specificmovements, i.e., how often a user is running and how fast, how often auser is impacted and how severe are the impacts, etc.

In exemplary embodiments, the padding 206 of the adjustable helmet 200may include either or both of internal padding or external padding thatcan have one or more functional parameters adjusted. In one embodiment,the padding 206 may include electroactive polymers that can be used tochange the size, shape, and/or stiffness of the padding 206, therebyadjusting the protection profile of the adjustable helmet 200. Inanother embodiment, the padding 206 may include inflatable padding thatcan be inflated and deflated to adjust the protection profile of theadjustable helmet 200. In additional embodiments, the padding 206 may becoupled to the helmet by a liner that selectively allows the padding 206to move laterally in relation to the shell of the helmet. For example,the liner may be configured to allow the padding to slide, or slip,along the surface of the shell of the helmet to reduce the torque on theuser's head during an impact. In exemplary embodiments, the degree, oramount of lateral movement, of the liner with respect to the shell maybe selected based on the analysis of play of the user of the helmet.

Referring now to FIG. 3, a flow diagram of a method 300 for suggestingadjustments to an adjustable helmet based on analysis of play inaccordance with an exemplary embodiment is shown. As shown at block 302,the method 300 includes monitoring a plurality of sensors in anadjustable helmet. In exemplary embodiments, the plurality of sensorsincludes one or more of an accelerometer and a gyroscope. Next, as shownat block 304, the method 300 includes performing an analysis of play fora user of the helmet based on data received from the plurality ofsensors. In exemplary embodiments, the processor of the adjustablehelmet may also be used to create a baseline profile of the play of theuser based on input form the accelerometer and the gyroscope and maystore the baseline profile in the memory. The processor may compare thereadings from the accelerometer and the gyroscope with the storedbaseline profile during the analysis of play for a user.

Continuing with reference to FIG. 3, as shown at decision block 306, themethod 300 includes determining if an adjustment to one or moreparameters of the helmet should be made based on the analysis of play.In exemplary embodiments, the adjustments may include, but are notlimited to, adjusting the stiffness on the padding, adjusting thetightness of the chin strap, adjusting the size of the padding, etc. Thetype and amount of an adjustment may be determined based on a model ofexpected risks of specific types of impacts given the analysis of playto mitigate the brain injury from these impacts. The adjustments to bemade to the helmet may be uniform or non-uniform, i.e., the stiffness ofall of the padding may not be the same. For example, based on theanalysis of play the stiffness of the padding in the front portion ofthe helmet may be greater or less that the stiffness in the back of thehelmet. Based on a determination that an adjustment to one or moreparameters of the helmet should be made, the method proceeds to block308 and includes creating an alert indicating that an adjustment to thehelmet is needed. Based on determining that an adjustment to one or moreparameters of the helmet should not be made, the method 300 continuesmonitoring the plurality of sensors in an adjustable helmet, as shown atblock 302.

In one embodiment, the adjustment alert may include a visual alertdisposed on the helmet such that the user or other personnel can easilyidentify the alert. In another embodiment, the method may also includetransmitting the alert to a separate processing system. For example, thehelmet may transmit an alert to a processing system on a sideline thatindicates that an adjustment needs to be made to the helmet. The alertmay include an identification of the user, the nature of the adjustmentto be made, the amount of the adjustment to be made, and an indicationof how critically the adjustment is needed.

Referring now to FIG. 4, a flow diagram of a method 400 for suggestingreplacement of a helmet based on analysis of play in accordance with anexemplary embodiment is shown. As shown at block 402, the method 400includes monitoring a plurality of sensors in an adjustable helmet. Inexemplary embodiments, the plurality of sensors includes one or more ofan accelerometer and a gyroscope. Next, as shown at block 404, themethod 400 includes performing an analysis of play for a user of thehelmet based on data received from the plurality of sensors. As shown atdecision block 406, the method 400 also includes determining if thehelmet should be replaced based on the analysis of the play of the user.In exemplary embodiments, the determination that the helmet should bereplaced may be triggered by an indication that a portion of the helmethas failed or is failing, that a needed adjustment is beyond the rangeof available adjustments in the current helmet, or that a differenthelmet has a protection profile more suited to the play of the user.Based on a determination that the helmet should be replaced, the methodproceeds to block 408 and includes creating an alert indicating that areplacement helmet is needed. Based on determining that the helmet doesnot need to be replaced, the method 400 continues monitoring theplurality of sensors in an adjustable helmet, as shown at block 402.

In one embodiment, the replacement alert may include a visual alertdisposed on the helmet such that the user or other personnel can easilyidentify the alert. In exemplary embodiments, the replacement alert maybe different than an adjustment alert. For example, the different typesof alerts may be different color LEDs on the helmet. In anotherembodiment, the method may also include transmitting the alert to aseparate processing system. For example, the helmet may transmit analert to a processing system on a sideline that indicates that thehelmet needs to be replaced. The alert may include an identification ofthe user, the cause of the replacement, an indication of a type of areplacement helmet, and an indication of how critically the replacementis needed.

In exemplary embodiments, the analysis of the play of the user caninclude monitoring data for an angle of rotation during an impact andcomparing it to a stored preferred angle of rotation during an impact.Likewise, the analysis of the play of the user can include monitoringdata for helmet acceleration during impacts using this data in functionsto track the wear and tear of the adjustable helmet. In addition, thedata for helmet acceleration may be analyzed and correlated with onboardchin strap tension estimator functions. In exemplary embodiments, ifduring the analysis any of the monitored data or combinations of themonitored data exceeds predefined criterion levels, a helmetamelioration action, such as an adjustment or replacement can berequested.

In exemplary embodiments, the analysis of play by the adjustable helmetcan be configured to detect excessive wear and tear on the helmet, anincorrect chin strap adjustment during use, an incorrect fit of thehelmet on the user, and the like. In addition, the helmet adjustmentsthat can be made may make helmet better at dealing with a certain angleof rotation over others by changes to angular rotation dampingmechanisms in the coupling of helmet to head.

Referring now to FIG. 5, a block diagram illustrating a system 500 formonitoring adjustable helmets in accordance with an exemplary embodimentis shown. As illustrated the system 500 includes one or more adjustablehelmets 502, such as the one shown and described above with reference toFIG. 2, and a processing system 504, such as the one shown and describedabove with reference to FIG. 1. The processing system 504 is configuredto communicate with the helmets 502 and is also configured to store themedical history 506 of the users of the helmets 502. In exemplaryembodiments, the medical history 506 of the users of the helmets 502 maybe used by the helmet in determining what adjustments need to be made tothe helmet during play. In addition, the processing system 504 mayinclude a virtual world display 508 that is configured to provide adisplay a real-time status of each of the users of the helmets. Inexemplary embodiments, the status may include, if a replacement oradjustment is needed to a helmet, a category of play of each user, anyindications that the user may have suffered a traumatic brain injury, aduration of play of the user, a duration that the user has been in thecurrent category of play, or the like.

In exemplary embodiments, the user's history of collision or medicalconcerns may be used to determine a traumatic brain injury riskassessment, either by the embedded processor or the separate processingsystem. In addition, the helmet may be configured to provide a real-timefeed of the user's cognitive state to increase the confidence level ofthe need for an adjustment to the helmet. In exemplary embodiments, anaggregate indication may be used to summarize an overall state of agroup of players. This may also help to potentially identify area ofrisk in the dynamics of player-player interaction, overly aggressiveplayers, playing field conditions, etc. In exemplary embodiments, anautomatic feed from a user's history of collision or medical concernsmay also be provided to a processor of the helmet in order to update animpact risk model for each category of play. In addition, the processingsystem 504 may receive a real-time feed of the user's cognitive state,which can be used to update the risk models used by the helmets. Therisk models may also be sent to the virtual world display 508 of thegame and players, which allows the sports staff health professionals tovisualize the nature of potential problems.

The present invention may be a system, a method, and/or a computerprogram product. The computer program product may include a computerreadable storage medium (or media) having computer readable programinstructions thereon for causing a processor to carry out aspects of thepresent invention.

The computer readable storage medium can be a tangible device that canretain and store instructions for use by an instruction executiondevice. The computer readable storage medium may be, for example, but isnot limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device,an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, asemiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. A non-exhaustive list of more specific examples of thecomputer readable storage medium includes the following: a portablecomputer diskette, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), aread-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROMor Flash memory), a static random access memory (SRAM), a portablecompact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disk (DVD),a memory stick, a floppy disk, a mechanically encoded device such aspunch-cards or raised structures in a groove having instructionsrecorded thereon, and any suitable combination of the foregoing. Acomputer readable storage medium, as used herein, is not to be construedas being transitory signals per se, such as radio waves or other freelypropagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagatingthrough a waveguide or other transmission media (e.g., light pulsespassing through a fiber-optic cable), or electrical signals transmittedthrough a wire.

Computer readable program instructions described herein can bedownloaded to respective computing/processing devices from a computerreadable storage medium or to an external computer or external storagedevice via a network, for example, the Internet, a local area network, awide area network and/or a wireless network. The network may comprisecopper transmission cables, optical transmission fibers, wirelesstransmission, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers and/oredge servers. A network adapter card or network interface in eachcomputing/processing device receives computer readable programinstructions from the network and forwards the computer readable programinstructions for storage in a computer readable storage medium withinthe respective computing/processing device.

Computer readable program instructions for carrying out operations ofthe present invention may be assembler instructions,instruction-set-architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions,machine dependent instructions, microcode, firmware instructions,state-setting data, or either source code or object code written in anycombination of one or more programming languages, including an objectoriented programming language such as Smalltalk, C++ or the like, andconventional procedural programming languages, such as the “C”programming language or similar programming languages. The computerreadable program instructions may execute entirely on the user'scomputer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone softwarepackage, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computeror entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario,the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through anytype of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide areanetwork (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer(for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).In some embodiments, electronic circuitry including, for example,programmable logic circuitry, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA), orprogrammable logic arrays (PLA) may execute the computer readableprogram instructions by utilizing state information of the computerreadable program instructions to personalize the electronic circuitry,in order to perform aspects of the present invention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for suggesting adjustments to anadjustable helmet based on analysis of play, the method comprising:monitoring a plurality of sensors in the adjustable helmet; performingan analysis of play for a user of the adjustable helmet based on datareceived from the plurality of sensors; determining if an adjustment tothe adjustable helmet should be made based on the analysis of play; andcreating an alert indicating that the adjustment to the helmet isneeded.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert includes anidentification of the user, a nature of the adjustment, an amount of theadjustment, and an indication of how critically the adjustment isneeded.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the alert is a visual alertdisposed on the adjustable helmet
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thealert includes one of an adjustment alert and a replacement alert. 5.The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the alert to aseparate processing system.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein thedetermination that the adjustment to the adjustable helmet should bemade is further based on a risk profile associated with a medicalhistory of the user.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein the risk profileis further based on a category of play of the user.